Seneca Valley's football players could be celebrating a WPIAL Class 6A playoff berth as early as Friday night.

To accomplish that, however, means taking down an old nemesis.

The Raiders (4-2, 2-2) travel to North Allegheny (5-2, 3-1) for a critical Northern Seven Conference meeting.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Dating back to 2003, NA has won 14 of its last 15 encounters with the Raiders. That span includes playoff games in 2011 and 2012. SV's lone win in that stretch was a 20-6 decision in 2013. That game was at NexTier Stadium. The last time the Raiders won at NA's Newman Stadium was in 2002.

“If you're worried about yourself and you have confidence, that's the key,” said Seneca coach Dave Vestal of battling any psychological edge the Tigers may have over the Raiders. “I think that it's good we are coming off a game like we had Friday (a 25-21 comeback win at Bethel Park).”

SV trailed Bethel Park 21-3 midway through the second quarter before scoring the game's final 22 points.

Senior halfback Hank Royal totaled 204 yards from scrimmage and scored all three of his team's touchdowns. He turned a short pass from quarterback Jack Cook into a 27-yard scoring reception to give the Raiders the lead for good with 18 seconds remaining in the game.

“It makes it tough for defenses to defend us,” Vestal said of having a running back adept at catching the ball out of the backfield. “Just like every other good back I've coached, Hank seems to get better the more he touches the ball.”

“Their offensive coordinator, Ron Butschle, does a really good job of utilizing the athletes they have,” said NA coach Art Walker, Jr. “He puts them in the right spots to make plays.”

Also playing a key role in last week's victory was the Raider defense, which shut out the Black Hawks in the second half.

“Our defensive line needed to step up,” Vestal added. “Our two defensive tackles, Evan Schillero and Ben Bablak, both played great in the second half.”

Vestal sees a lot of similarities between Bethel Park's offense and the unit his defense will face this week. That comparison starts with a mobile quarterback.

The Black Hawks' Cole Rogers rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns last week. NA's senior signal caller, Ethan Maenza, leads the Tigers in rushing yards (744) and rushing touchdowns (12) out of the team's pro-style attack.

Maenza scored on a 52-yard run late in the fourth quarter of NA's 28-21 victory at Penn Hills last week. He rushed for 160 yards in the game.

A two-year starter, Maenza has passed for 548 yards, five touchdowns and one interception this season.

“He's very, very bright,” Walker said. “A lot of Ivy League schools have shown interest in him. The number of snaps he has under his belt definitely helps and he wants the pressure put on him.”

Running back Michael Pope has added 324 rushing yards and four scores this season.

Senior left tackle Josh Lugg (6-foot-7, 290 pounds), a Notre Dame recruit, has been opening holes for NA's ground attack.

“The key will be up front. We have to control the line of scrimmage,” said Vestal. “We have to beat them at the point of attack and not give up any big plays.”

Senior wide receiver/defensive back Niko Mermigas is NA's top pass catcher (23-392-4) and also paces the team in tackles (39) and passes intercepted (2).

“He's a big-play guy on both sides of the ball,” Walker said. “Defensively, he plays both cornerback and safety for us and is a ball hawk.”